Subhojeet Mukherjee on March 23, 2024
After departing WWE following her SummerSlam match against Shayna Baszler the previous year, Ronda Rousey took a break from professional wrestling. However, she recently garnered attention by disclosing several unexpected revelations about her time in WWE. In fact, she has now accused John Laurinaitis of sexist choices while running NXT.
In her forthcoming book “Our Fight,” scheduled for release on April 4, Ronda Rousey delves into her WWE experiences, providing candid insights into her tenure with the company. Notably, she directs strong language towards Bruce Prichard and John Laurinaitis, expressing her frustrations by telling them to go ‘f*** themselves.’
In an excerpt from her new book Our Fight via @TheCovalentTV, Ronda Rousey delves into the changes made to the WWE NXT brand in 2021. She highlights the excitement surrounding NXT, contrasting it with Raw and SmackDown’s repetitive storylines. As NXT gained momentum and potential for expansion, it caught Vince McMahon’s attention.
With the launch of a weekly NXT show to compete with AEW, the stakes were high. However, Triple H’s health scare led to his temporary absence, allowing Vince’s associates to seize control. John Laurinaitis, described as a former wrestler turned WWE executive, took the helm of NXT.
“People were excited about NXT in a way that they weren’t about Raw and SmackDown’s constant reliance on rehashing the same formulaic story lines over and over. As NXT grew and it became apparent that there was the potential to expand and profit from it, suddenly it became attractive to Vince. In fall of 2019, WWE launched a weekly NXT show—slated to go head-to-head on-air with AEW. Now, NXT was on the up-and-up, but so too was AEW. Then Triple H almost died, suffering from heart failure and requiring surgery.”
”He stepped away to deal with his health, and in his absence, Vince’s cronies saw an opportunity. NXT was losing the ratings battle to AEW, they whispered to Vince. Changes needed to be made. Which is how John Laurinaitis, a former wrestler turned WWE executive and all-around dirtbag, ended up running NXT.”
Rousey portrays Laurinaitis as a polarizing figure, known for his average wrestling career and authoritarian demeanor. He’s depicted as prioritizing looks over talent in roster decisions, leading to significant changes within NXT. Despite criticism, Rousey suggests that blaming Laurinaitis alone is oversimplifying WWE’s internal issues. She hints at behind-the-scenes drama surpassing anything scripted, revealing the complexities of WWE’s inner workings.
”Laurinaitis had made a name for himself as an average but by no means outstanding wrestler before he moved into playing an in-ring authority figure type and then a producer. He looked and acted like an entitled sixty-year-old former frat boy. Tall, blondish, and with a cleft chin, he always appeared to be scowling, even when he smiled. His raspy voice earned him the nickname Johnny Laryngitis, which was one of the nicer things people called him.”
”Whereas Triple H looked for talent and potential in NXT prospects, it appeared John Laurinaitis looked for f*ckability. He further purged the NXT roster, firing it seemed like everyone over twenty-five and turning recruiting attention away from the indie circuits in favor of blonde sorority-types from places like the Universities of Florida and Tennessee. Putting the blame for the decline on Laurinaitis—which Vince would basically try to do a few months later—would be easy but Laurinaitis was only a symptom of what was wrong within WWE. Honestly, the actual drama was so much better than anything WWE could ever script.”
Ronda Rousey’s true feelings about Vince McMahon have also been revealed. Nevertheless, Rousey wants nothing to do with WWE ever again and that is what truly matters to her now.
Are you shocked by everything Ronda Rousey had to say about John Laurinaitis? Let us know in the comments section below!
March 23, 2024 10:05 am
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